The journey of Samy Bear
Are we talking about a bear that looks like a human... or the other way around? It's about a boat under construction. And then a departure on the waves. Encounters, too. A journey to grow up... but not too much! This CD-book (with the possibility of listening online) is as rich as it is poetic. The airy layout gives way to large, full-colour illustrations, sometimes almost vaporous. The text is worked on: an opportunity to discover new words with the greats! The soundtrack, animated by the singer Cali and his warm voice, gives pride of place to the alert and cheerful banjo.
Extract "Roughly beaten by the swell, Samy thought he died more than once. He prayed to the sky and implored the wind to make the elements more forgiving again. And the rain stopped. It wasn't until the next day, in the early morning, that he discovered the reason for this astonishing disturbance. »
From 7 years old - éditions Margot - Bernard Villiot / Pierre Charentus / Cali
Author : Bernard Villiot
"When I'm facing the sea, I escape. She takes my imagination with her. Moreover, when I was at the mouth of the Tagus, I understood very well these great navigators who wanted to go far away in the past. For me, navigation is adventure, travel and freedom. A book marked me on the sea and its boats: "Novecento: pianist", by Alessandro Baricco... the story of a man who spent his life on a liner. »
Available from 22,90 euros here
John Blake
There's talk of a ghost ship, the Mary-Alice. But also about an enigmatic time fog. The near-drowning of a young yachtswoman. Her rescue. Of sailing to the present day..
The drawing is sometimes vaporous, other times very precise. Evocative of different atmospheres. Enough to please the greatest number of people!
Bubble Extract : "Look Chris, the Mary-Alice has been spotted again! Off the coast of Somalia".
For Teens - Glénat Editions - Philip Pullman / Fred Fordham
Available from 18,50 euros here
Martine is sailing
It's about the "Porpoise" class, the instructor. But also about the four cardinal points and what makes a sailboat go forward. And also of course about Budderball, Martine's faithful dog! As this title is part of the collection "Je commence à lire avec Martine" (I start reading with Martine), the text is written roughly on the pages. Those that are illustrated are based on the famous realistic and soft drawing decorated with lively colors that made the success of the heroine.
Extract This summer, Martine is at the Gull School where she is doing a sailing course. [...] Before sailing, it is essential to know your boat well. - Who can tell me what a sailing boat is? - It's a hull with a mast and a sail, but also planks, pulleys, ropes... "
From 5 to 8 years old - Éditions Casterman - Gilbert Delahaye / Marcel Marlier
Available from 5.95 euros here
Boats, conquering the seas
We're talking about boats in abundance... because this documentary book goes back to the creation of boats to tell the story. Ra's boat, the Nautilus, the Cutty Sark, the Spray, and others, equally emblematic... are unveiled. It is also a question of showing the diversity of the boats. And their usefulness for fishing, exploration, trade... and the imagination of racing yachts, for example! The illustrations display beautiful shimmering colours, surrounded by fine, precise lines. A joyful reading to discover all the boats!
Extract In 1895, knowing the sea like the back of his hand, Nova Scotia captain Joshua Slocum made a crazy bet. On board Spray, his old oyster fishing boat, he would be the first to sail solo around the world. »
For young teens - Éditions De La Martinière jeunesse - Iris Volant - Jarom Vogel
Available from 14,90 euros here
The shepherdess with blue hands
It's about a shepherdess and her two children. The one who can't resist the call of the ocean. Of an island lost in the middle of the sea. An intriguing silver fish... and lots of sheep too! The colourful, detailed, round and finely contoured illustrations are pleasant to discover page after page. The soundtrack, since it's a CD book (also available online), is very lively, lively with various characters... and even funny with talking sheep!
Extract But the earth is moving away inexorably, and the sheep resign themselves to their fate. Gael is at the helm, Erel is at the bow, watching the horizon. The water hits the hull, the spray whips the faces. »
From 7 years old - Éditions Margot - Pierre-Luc Granjon / Samuel Ribeyron / Amélie-lès-crayons
Author : Pierre-Luc Granjon
"I haven't done a lot of sailing, but when I'm on the coast and I see boats leaving, it's the journey and the adventure that comes to mind. And also a wild side. I have the impression that in this world, man is omnipresent. Wherever we are, we see the traces of him. Whereas at sea, it seems to me, it's something else... Already, seeing it, the sea, is enough for me to dream and travel. And when, in Brittany, I see it raging on the rocks, what a pleasure! »
Available from 22,90 euros here
The cat, the boat and the child
It's about the cat and its beloved boat. But also about a sad little boy. And again about a departure into the sea... The text leaves the beautiful (and great) part to the illustration. It often slips at the bottom of the page, all in white. As for the drawings, it's a funny style that covers the whole page. Almost childish this style, certainly geometric, and not very realistic. All in colour, that's for sure. Pleasant for the youngest, that's for sure too. And the older ones will perhaps detect the Marseille inspiration of the illustrator? L'Estaque is not far..
Extract A small boat, tiny the boat, too small, yes, much too small for the cat. But he likes it, being confined in his boat, all tight, huddled up. »
From 6 years old - Éditions L'Initiale - Nathalie Wyss / Caroline Dalla
Author : Nathalie Wyss
"The North Sea shore, with its greyness, its sea spray, I like it... There's a certain sadness, nostalgia that comes out of it. It's an atmosphere full of stories, which awakens the imagination. The words "freedom", "immensity" and "courage" come to mind. Beyond the beach, it's a universe that, I admit, frightens me a little, that impresses me, that baffles me. »
The Dam
It's about two little boys and an adventure. The one who starts off by saying that they are building a dam and the water rises and rises... It is about this inflatable boat in which he sets off on an adventure and encounters... The whole thing is narrated without words. Just funny drawings that leave the imagination free to sail with the funny little heroes.
From 2 years old - Les petites bulles Éditions - Vincent Lefebvre
Author : Vincent Lefebvre
"My father was a navigator on a 40-foot monohull. And we were going to join him... I remember Guadeloupe, but also the Aves and Roques, off Venezuela, some very small, isolated islands. And also Isla Tortuga, a point in the middle of the ocean. I was seven years old... what memories! One, in particular: our return trips, in the dinghy, around the boat, to find the places, when we had a pass to cross! »
Daddy Rescuer
It's about the roaring wind, the heavy rain, the dark night, a siren sounding. And a little boy huddled in his bed. And of his daddy, too, who goes out to help... And of him, who later will do the same. The story is always the same, but is worth telling over and over again... To save. The pages are covered with softened colors, probably because they form like stains sometimes. The sea is beautifully represented.
Extract Suddenly, Malo can't wait any longer. - I'm going to see Yvon at the lighthouse, Mama," he says, rising like a spring. He puts on his raincoat, grabs his boots. »
From 5 years old - Éditions Beluga-Coop breizh - Orianne Lallemand / Bruno Pilorget
Illustrator : Bruno Pilorget
"Since childhood, I've been involved in lifesaving at sea, my father having volunteered since he was 17, and my brother having died at sea at 17. In my youth, I did a bit of dinghy sailing, and a few trips to the dream triangle of Houat/Belle-Île/Hoëdic Islands. I live in southern Brittany, near the "Petite Mer", the Gulf of Morbihan, a paradise for lovers of all kinds of sailing and more generally of the pleasures of the sea. I have illustrated the sea a lot, starting with Homer's Odyssey by Casterman. »
Available from 14,90 euros here
The fabulous voyage of the deer boat
It's about a fox named Marco, eager for answers to his countless questions... precisely! These unusual questions that we sometimes ask ourselves when we are little. It is also about a superb boat on which Marco is embarking, and aboard which he will end up discovering what friendship is all about. What are also storms and pirates! The illustrations are simply beautiful: large drawings on double pages, full of details, but still soft to the eye, thanks to the colours of the animals, plants and elements that populate this book.
Extract The day the deer boat arrived, Marco began to wonder about the big world. ...] But perhaps we will find the Island of Delicious Trees. »
From 4 years old - Editions Little Urban - Dashka Slater / The Fan Borthers
Available from 13,50 euros here
Badger's Journey
"Or how to get blown away and find your place", an intriguing subtitle, isn't it? The less true this original sea badger character, the hero. After having travelled all the seas of the world, and having aged a little, he settles down and crouches down in his daily life. Until... That's what this album is about, decorated with soft and childish drawings, coloured in warm monochrome.
Extract Just as a roaring wave was about to sweep Lilly off her feet, Badger caught the mooring rope. He pulled and struggled, but the sea was stronger than a hundred badgers combined. »
From 3 years old - Éditions Cambourakis - Cécilia Heikkila
Available from 14,00 euros here
Of course, other books in the library of Bateaux.com
